


Show Me The Way To Go Home

by The_Magic_Lava_Lamp



Category: IT - Stephen King
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-20
Updated: 2018-09-20
Packaged: 2019-07-14 22:26:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16049819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Magic_Lava_Lamp/pseuds/The_Magic_Lava_Lamp
Summary: Little blurbs about the Losers Club during the year of 1967, traveling into the Summer of Love.





	Show Me The Way To Go Home

“Last night I dreamt I was drowning again.” Beverly wet her lips as she turned her head and tilted her chin. The van rattled underneath her and sent a very satisfying static shock through her body as he hand rubbed too deeply into the shag carpet. The vehicle was eerily silent for a few passing moments so she distracted herself by looking out the window. “And I kept swallowing tons of water and I was choking by the time I woke up.” She shrugged. 

Eddie rested his head in the palm of his hand while Stan picked loose threads from the other boys pant leg. He gave her a half sort of smile to let her know that they all were listening. 

“Well babe, chase all that salt-water with some sweet stolen beer.” Richie dangled a bottle he’d been nursing and she could see a distorted version of his face through the glass. She mostly took it because she knew Richie had a weak stomach and beer aggravated it. But he didn’t like the image of himself he’d create if he couldn’t even drink. Not that any of them would care but he had a thing about saving face. 

Bill turned the large van to the left and they were sailing down a long barren road. Occasionally they passed a advertisement of some sort but for the most part, it was peacefully empty. “I had that same one about my throat closing up…couldn’t breathe.” Eddie spoke up and hovered his hand up to his neck to illustrate his point. Mike hummed, turning his body to drape his arms over the back of his seat to face the little group sitting loosely in the back. Eddie had thrown a fit about desire to get a seat because there was no way he’d sit on the floor with no seat-belt. But Ben swiped the passengers seat and Mike and Richie got the back bench. 

Eddie let the fight in him go…figuring maybe it’d be good for him to make himself ignore his neuroses. “I know it’s just a dream but…” Eddie decided not finish with words but with a shrug. 

“It can really scare the crap out of ya.” Stan finished for him with a cheeky little smile to which Eddie appreciated. Beverly nodded a few times with wide eyes. 

“Why talk about this shit?” Richie shook his head and sat up straighter and rested his arm along the bench. “How about the fact that we just fucking did something!” Richie waved his arms with the most excitement they’d seen in him, which was saying a lot. 

Beverly’s chuckle was low and warm, like they’d all been smothered in a dosage of honey. Their small group had joined the plethora of young radical freethinkers that had been flocking to San Francisco. It was like a safe-haven, a home-base, a place vibrating with the sweltering counterculture.

They were all more than just into throwing away traditional ideologies for their own reasons. Practicing individuality and embracing a treasure for sexuality and love that was for the most part absent from everyday life before. It was a search for personal and widespread peace. 

There was a calm and sweet glimmer in Eddie’s eyes as he shuffled a little ways to sit under Richie’s swinging hand. An unspoken agreement that the other boy would rub his hand through his golden hair. 

“Or we just did something way too reckless.” Stan shook his head with a paranoid laugh. “I mean we just picked up and left like there was no tomorrow.” He chewed on his lip. 

“But tomorrow’s arrived and we’re all pretty happy.” Mike grinned and took a long trailing look at everyone in the car. “Right?” He looked back at Stan who reluctantly smiled with a nod. 

“Of course we are. Derry…w-w-well it felt good to see that p-p-lace in the rear-view mirror.” Bill spoke up from the drivers seat, adjusting his mirrors. His stutter was weakening some since the beginning of last year. But it was still with him and part of him. He shook the strands of hair that fell into his vision. 

They’d all seemingly decided to let their hair grow at the same time. Long hair was the way to go and the way they wanted. The boys sported the shaggiest of looks they’d had yet. Hair falling over their eyes and blowing all over the place when it was windy. Stan’s was a beautiful curled mess. Ben’s and Mike’s were most likely the shortest out of them all but still teetering towards unkempt. 

Beverly’s was the longest she’d ever let it go. Strands of Christmas red flowed down her back and plastered to her neck with sweat. “You missed that old man who called me a ‘dirty Hippie’ at the Dairy Queen.” Eddie chuckled as he recounted the encounter in his head and tapped Beverly’s shoe with his own. 

“They’ll never let ya guys into Disneyland with hair that long.” Beverly teased in the voice of some old man, taking a page out of Richie’s book. The group laughed. A joyous one that had them each shaking their heads at the scrutinizing eyes of the outside world where they were regarded as nothing but dirty hippies and dropouts. 

“It’s like they think we’re just in it for the hair, sex and drugs.” Ben scoffed, thinking of the adults he knew and didn’t know who looked down on the youth. 

“No, that’s just a huge bonus.” Richie added and the group once again howled with laughter. 

“What flavor ice cream did you get at Dairy Queen?” Richie suddenly asked, still threading his fingers softly through Eddie’s hair. He, Bill and Mike missed out on that trip as they was trying to hassle the apartment building owner to lower the price of their chosen place by just a little.

With their shared savings, they’d have enough for a while but they were going to have to find work immediately to live on it. Their main reason for taking the opportunity to seize this dream was the fact that through an intern program, Ben managed to land a job in the area. And the dream took off from there. 

“Ummm, that Banana one that Ben thought was so gross he spit it out that one time.” Eddie chuckled and everyone grinned fondly. It was often they described things like that. With a memory attached to it. 

Stan sucked in some air and leaned back on the doors behind him. An instant wave of drowsiness hit the group like some magic connection. 

“They don’t listen to us cause we’re just kids…’what do we know?’. But when it comes down to it. We’re spreading love, asking for healthy change and seeking peace. What can be better than that?” Stan suddenly spoke off spoken topic but it was not jarring because all of the Losers had been thinking on that subject. 

Mike hummed again. “People are gonna remember that about us. The young people.” he sounded so sure of it. So much so that everyone in the van felt it too. People would, wouldn’t they? 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The seven of them waterfalled out of the huge orange Volkswagen and strolled past their building in favor of taking a walk into their still freshly new city. Beverly went to work lighting herself a plain old cigarette though she craved something a little more exciting. Richie stayed close to her side for a while into the walk as they were sharing the cigarette. 

But he was soon swept into distraction as something all too exciting came into his mind. He jogged over and grabbed onto Eddie’s hand. And for once in their lives, their peers were giving them smiles and encouraging them as they passed. 

Richie was holding Eddie with the hands of flourishing love and thanked fuck they found a place that was full of warm & loving people. 

“I’m not gonna get old and bitter, I’ve decided.” Ben spoke softly and Beverly smiled from ear to ear. 

“No? Maybe just old and sweet?” She bumped their arms together and they both blushed like it was the first time. “And with me, I should hope.” Beverly let herself be vulnerable with the man she adored for a minute.

Ben smiled the brightest smile and threaded his arm through hers. 

It was still early on in the morning. Sun rays flowed down from the sky and cascaded them all in shimmering orange light. It was delightfully warm and it brought all living things together in a loving embrace. 

Bill watched his friends take the streets, a little ways behind them. And as the sun played upon their faces, he realized just how young they were. And it seemed profoundly dumb to say that he just noticed this considering the gangs focus on how that just because they were young didn’t mean they didn’t know shit. They’d been so hyper-focused on the idea of being young that it barely occurred to Bill to actually feel young. 

“We should do something today.” Bill said lamely. Mike raised his eyebrow from Bill’s right and Stan chuckled. 

“Something specific in mind, huh Bill?” Richie laughed and Bill shrugged and wondered what young people who didn’t have the world on their shoulders might do for fun. 

“I bet we can find a cool club?” Beverly suggested, the group hummed in agreement. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Late into the day found the Losers scattered around the plain of a club called ‘The Majestic’. 

Beverly was sat across from a man who’d just got done singing with his band. Between them, he stretched out the beautiful fabric of his jacket sleeve. They were supremely invested into a deep conversation of the counterculture’s clothing expression. 

Mike, a sudden hopeful, was sat at a table going on and on about the pride he felt for his friends and his peers who were standing up for themselves in such a crazy time. He spoke all this to a kind older gentleman who was being reminded through Mike of his own son. 

Bill, possessed with the spirit of happiness, took to conversation at the bar. Secretly fulfilling his childhood desire to talk his problems through with a mysterious and wise bartender. 

Stan took some time alone to curl up at a table with a drink much too rich to be anything but a treat. It only sort of half-nodded at the idea of getting a buzz. But it was nice all on it’s own. It helped nurse his thoughts of the impending days ahead. 

Ben was in the middle of a deep conversation with a woman who spoke in melancholy blues. He talked with her for the remainder of his time at the Majestic. 

Richie and Eddie were curled up against each other, nearing sleep. Stan was keeping his eyes on them to make sure they stayed safe. A little jealous of their ability to fall asleep almost anywhere. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Eddie’s blonde hair was beginning to hover just over his shoulders and curl at the ends. Over the course of their few weeks in their new city, his hair was growing rapidly. Nothing noteworthy but it was important to him. A type of self-expression not only written off by his mother but by most adults. But for once in his life, he couldn’t care less. 

He sat cross-legged on the concrete just outside their building when Mike came bounding down the stairs to his side. He plopped down and sat the latest newspaper on his lap. Eddie slipped his weak prescription glasses that almost had no point back onto his face. 

“I swear, they call every peaceful demonstration we have a riot. A riot! Can you believe that?” Mike frowned deeply and Eddie sighed. In actuality, he could believe it. That’s just how media worked these days. 

“It’s this vicious cycle man. These guys shove microphones in our faces and say shit like ‘Explain yourself. Why are you acting out against your superiors?’ ” Mike scoffed. 

“And if you give them the answer they see fit they respect you then. But if you contrast them they shut you down immediately.” Mike was beyond disappointed.

“We try to represent ourselves and our non-violent message but nobody wants to listen because kids are just kids and teens are just teens. What do they know?” He seemed to simmer down for a moment and Eddie sighed with him. For a moment they were both silent and Eddie decided to put his head on Mike’s shoulder. 

“You should write some articles, man.” Eddie spoke softly and Mike hummed. “I mean, did you ever think about journalism?” 

Mike looked off into the street in front of them and his face was washed over with the fading sunlight. “You might be on to something Kaspbrak.” 

Eddie grinned. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

San Francisco’s district of Height-Ashbury was flourishing with community but with the influx of population, it also became a hot-bed for attention. The Losers handled it all in different and sometimes similar ways. 

Mike and Beverly had poured themselves into their passions. Mike was writing for a small paper and Bev was working her way up in a clothing store, designing tons of pieces. 

Ben was working under some great architect’s and working up to bigger and better things. He and Bill sometimes made extra money by writing up some songs and selling them to artists. 

Bill was mostly working on his novels. But was able to snag a job at that club they’d visited for the first time just two months ago. The Majestic. 

Stan was being a neighborhood wonder boy. He avoided big crowds at all costs but most residents of their corner in town knew him by name and adored him. 

Richie&Eddie had separated for a two week period just to explore a healthy break. And they re-kindled their unspoken relationship when it became overwhelmingly obvious that was just how they were supposed to be together. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The seven Losers drove a little over an hour in the weeks of June to an event they were most excited for. The road-trip itself had been a blast. Just the seven of them having the time of their lives. 

The Monterey Pop Festival. 

They spent 3 days in the area just to absorb as much of the event that was offered. Beverly’s eyes lit up at the wonderful fashion at every turn. 

It was hard to believe that not too long ago, they were all back home in Derry. Just waiting for their lives to take off. And boy were not as prepared as they thought they’d been. 

Eddie held on to Richie as the taller man carried him on his back. He kept casual conversation as his small boyfriend cuddled into his shoulder and occasionally pressed kisses onto his neck. 

And it became a game within the group whenever they reunited from a split to share fake celebrity encounters. 

Which is why It took hours of convincing before any of them actually believed Beverly really had a conversation with Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones. But she did have that conversation. It wasn’t long but it was wonderful and rare. She stole Mike’s pen and pad earlier and it was the best decision of her life. Not that she knew at the time. But she wrote down the man’s musings on his fashion. Which was all Beverly craved, especially from someone so into his outfits. And he’d even signed the paper for her. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

“Show me the way to go home….” Bill quietly sang to himself as he drove his van filled with the people he loved most in his life. 

“I’m tired and I wanna go to bed!” Eddie piped up from the passengers seat. 

“I had a little drink about an hour ago and it’s gone right to my head…!” Richie joined in. 

And soon enough the whole vehicle was alive in song when Bill had just begun to sing to ease himself. Originally thinking the others had succumb to sleep. 

“Wherever I may roam  
Over land or sea or foam  
You can always hear me singing this song  
Show me the way to go home!”


End file.
